‘Rushed’ environmental plan raises concerns

Council delay third reading for PAN; mapping details need ironing out

That was the tune eight community members sang Monday night
when they walked up to the podium to speak out against the municipality’s plan
for environmental conservation in the valley: The Protected Areas Network Plan
(PAN).

Chief among concerns were the plan’s maps. Several people said
they are nervous that PAN does not protect certain plots of land, like an area
in Alpine Meadows called “Section G” or the “G Spot.” Others said the approval
process is too rushed.

“The details of this proposal and mapping cry out for more
public consultation,” said one critic, Vancouver-based lawyer Robert Anderson,
representing a Whistler client.

“It is true that the concept of PAN has been around for some
time, but this particular proposal has been obviously rushed through, and the
comments tonight from a variety of sources is evidence that it is simply not
ready.”

Added developer Duane Jackson: “My first concern is the lack of
public notification and public open houses since November 2007.”

“Since that time, the documents have changed, the structure has
changed and the development permit areas have changed. A lot of us have not had
time to consider what that really means…. I am not sure what the urgency is.”

PAN, which has been in the works for six years, dictates how
different ecosystems can be developed in Whistler. For example, nothing can be
built on wetlands, which fall under the highest level of protection.

Almost all speakers were realtors or residents of Alpine
Meadows — who sported matching black and white “Save the G Spot”
T-shirts.

During the meeting, municipal staff assured the G Spot crew
that the Alpine Meadows land is not slated for development. The reason the land
is marked “exempt” on PAN maps is because it has been designated as a potential
spot for employee housing, under the land bank agreement.

Staff also acknowledged that the map details could use cleaning
up. Heather Beresford, municipal manager of environmental stewardship, said
since the PAN maps were made public this week, five new areas have been added.

“We have to keep in mind that these maps are tools and not the
final word,” she said.

She added that the reason for the environmental plan’s urgent
time line is because the current council’s term ends this month.

“Staff has a commitment to the current council on this. We, of
course, are at the last hour, and it has been a very complex process and it has
taken a long time. We have done our best to get us here before the election,”
said Beresford.

Mayor Ken Melamed also said the only reason PAN is being
so-called “rushed” is because it has taken so long to prepare the 600 page
document.

“It is not about rushing. It is about doing things in the
proper time when they are ready,” said Melamed.

“Now, it is ready.”

Because there was opposition to the plan council, as per its
policy, did not consider third reading Monday. It will likely come back to
council for third reading on Nov. 17.

Not everyone was against giving third reading to the
environmental plan. Biologist Bob Brett and AWARE (Association of Whistler Area
Residents for the Environment) representative Brad Kasselman both spoke to the
plan’s merits.

“This is state-of-the-art and as best as we could do on
applying conservation biology principles to the local planning level, which has
not been done before,” said Brett, who helped develop the plan.

“The people that sat around the table argued a lot about the
specifics of this, but the overall point is to have a broad based outline that
decisions could be made on.”

PAN, which received first reading in
2005, has also received input from a public steering committee, two public open
houses, a peer review, and a professor from Simon Fraser University, among
others.